- 1 day ago
Time to flex those movie memories! Join us as we count down our picks for stars who built jaw‑dropping physiques to own their roles. From Chris Evans’ super‑soldier build and Henry Cavill’s Kryptonian bulk to Linda Hamilton’s battle‑ready grit, Ryan Reynolds’ superhero glow‑up, and Sylvester Stallone’s razor‑cut Rocky form, we’re spotlighting the transformations behind the hits, including “Man of Steel,” “Captain Marvel,” “Deadpool,” “Terminator 2,” and more. Who impressed you most?
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00I wanted her to be a strong, physical girl, so I started to gain muscle and gain strength.
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:08And today, we're counting down our picks for the top 30 stars who transformed their physique for the big screen.
00:15An incredible transformation.
00:17The actor posting what he called a thirsty shirtless on Instagram.
00:22Number 30. Jessica Biel, Blade Trinity.
00:26If you're going to be a vampire hunter, you might as well look like one.
00:29When Jessica Biel played Abigail Whistler in Blade Trinity, she didn't just bring the attitude.
00:35She looked unstoppable.
00:37And as long as it's there, you know, I'm strong and I'm untouchable.
00:43Biel was already known to be well-built in Hollywood, but she decided that wasn't enough.
00:48For the film, she turned up the heat, training six days a week.
00:52We're talking a mix of interval cardio, stair jumps, plyometrics, and weight training
00:56that would make even Wesley Snipes rethink his workout routines.
01:01She built lean muscles that helped her move like a weapon.
01:04Fast, powerful, and precise.
01:06Without losing that signature Biel polish.
01:09Let's be honest, if vampires saw her coming, they'd probably run the other way.
01:13Doing like 45 minutes of cardio and then a full hour of weightlifting.
01:16Then I would go to an hour of martial arts.
01:20And then an hour of archery.
01:22And then I would fall asleep.
01:24Number 29.
01:25Robert De Niro.
01:26Raging Bull.
01:27Some actors just train for a role.
01:30But in Raging Bull, Robert De Niro disappeared into his character.
01:34When he stepped into the ring as Jake LaMotta, he didn't just play a boxer.
01:38He became one.
01:39De Niro spent months learning how to throw and take real punches.
01:43Sparring and sweating until he actually looked dangerous.
01:46I'm going to smack you again.
01:48Throw it again.
01:49It's enough.
01:50It's enough.
01:51Then came one of Hollywood's wildest transformations.
01:55After filming the fight scenes, he turned around and gained 60 pounds to portray LaMotta's downfall.
02:01Most actors would have asked for a fat suit or body double.
02:04But De Niro went on an eating spree.
02:07The commitment was intense.
02:09And the payoff?
02:10Well earned.
02:11He won an Oscar and delivered a performance so raw,
02:14audiences thought they were watching LaMotta himself.
02:17It's over for me.
02:18Boxing's over for me.
02:20I'm true.
02:22I'm tired of worrying about weight all the time.
02:24That's all I used to think about was weight, weight, weight.
02:27Number 28.
02:28Zoe Saldana.
02:30Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Star Trek Beyond.
02:34Some call her a sci-fi queen.
02:36And Zoe Saldana proves it every time she steps on set.
02:40After an explosive performance as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy,
02:44she welcomed twins.
02:46But that didn't slow her down.
02:47Months later, she dove into training.
02:50Pilates, plyometric drills, interval cardio, and deadlifts to get her muscles ready for stunts.
02:55What are you doing?
03:02I'm no family to Ronan or Thanos.
03:06Her diet was just as disciplined,
03:08focusing on vegetables and nutrient-rich food to stay energized and sharp.
03:13By the time the cameras rolled for Star Trek Beyond,
03:16Zoe had shed the 70 pounds she gained during pregnancy.
03:19She even slipped back into her Guardians costume from the previous film like it was nothing.
03:24Fit, fierce, and unstoppable,
03:26Gamora returned stronger than ever in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
03:31Who are you people?
03:32What is this place?
03:33Gamora, let her go!
03:34The bodies in the caverns.
03:36Who are they?
03:37Number 27.
03:38Ben Affleck.
03:39Batman vs. Superman.
03:41Dawn of Justice.
03:42When Ben Affleck stepped up to play Batman in Dawn of Justice,
03:45fans weren't sure what to expect.
03:47Ben knew he had big shoes to fill.
03:49So instead of arguing, he hit the gym like a man on a mission.
03:52An absolute necessity, given Cavill's Instagrammically impeccable pecs.
03:58That was very daunting.
03:59I thought if I have to be as good a shape as this guy, I think I'm in trouble.
04:02Under the guidance of trainer Walter Norton Jr.,
04:05he went through brutal full-body circuits,
04:08deadlifts, tire flips, sled pushes, and more.
04:11He gained over 20 pounds of solid muscle,
04:14transforming into a bulked-up, battle-ready Dark Knight unlike any before.
04:18With that build, taking on Superman wasn't enough.
04:22Batman even geared up to face the unstoppable Doomsday.
04:26In the end, Ben's dedication and performance turned skeptics into believers.
04:30I worked out for almost a year before this movie started
04:33to get into becoming a superhero at my advanced age.
04:37And that does not come easy.
04:40That's what audiences have come to expect.
04:42Number 26, Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes
04:46Who says getting stronger isn't glamorous?
04:50When Emma Stone took on the role of Billie Jean King in Battle of the Sexes,
04:53she knew her charm alone wouldn't cut it.
04:56So she met Billie Jean in person and studied her movement,
04:59composure, and that strength that made her a tennis legend.
05:02To capture it physically, Emma trained with Jason Walsh,
05:06embracing a level of athletic intensity she'd never known before.
05:09We're talking heavyweights fueling up with calorie-packed shakes
05:26and a laser focus on building strength.
05:29Slowly, she packed on 15 pounds of pure muscle
05:32and loved every bit of it.
05:34When most would panic seeing the scale climb,
05:36she lit up proudly.
05:37On screen, that strength showed.
05:40Emma didn't just play a champion, she became one.
05:43The team of people around me that were supporting me through that
05:47were unbelievable.
05:48There's no way I would have been able to do it without
05:49at least a dozen people helping.
05:53Number 25, Kumail Nanjiani, Eternals.
05:57It's no news that we expect most MCU characters to be super ripped,
06:01but we just didn't expect this one.
06:03Kumail Nanjiani, the nerdy comedy guy,
06:05the internet went crazy when he dropped that shirtless photo of himself completely jacked.
06:10It set the internet on fire with tons of tweets and memes.
06:14Sure, it made sense.
06:15He was cast to play Kingo in Marvel's superhero flick Eternals,
06:19but those muscles?
06:20Unreal.
06:21He specifically credited an elite team of trainers and nutritionists
06:25for helping him sculpt that superhero physique.
06:28Nanjiani himself deflected the credit to his trainers and nutritionists,
06:32writing, I would not have been able to do this if I didn't have a full year
06:35with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world.
06:40Since Kingo is portrayed as a Bollywood star,
06:43Kumail insisted it was only right to aim for a body like Hrthik Roshan.
06:48For all the months of dedication, the results spoke for itself.
06:51And Kumail feels happy, managing to stay impressively fit ever since.
06:56And how hard will it be for him to maintain?
06:59For most of my clients, they've all kept the physique
07:01because they understand the principles behind it,
07:02how hard they work to get it, and it's not necessarily difficult to maintain.
07:06Number 24, Adam Driver, Star Wars Episode VIII, The Last Jedi.
07:12Let's be real, nobody was ready for that Kylo Ren reveal.
07:15Adam Driver had played the same role in The Force Awakens,
07:18but his dark robes kept him shrouded in mystery.
07:22Then in The Last Jedi, in one unforgettable scene,
07:25Kylo stripped off his tunic,
07:27and fans caught a glimpse of a muscled-up version of Adam.
07:30Broad chest, visible abs, the whole deal.
07:33And no, it wasn't movie magic.
07:35Why did you hate your father?
07:41Do you have something, a cowl or something you could put on?
07:44Turns out, Adam had trained relentlessly for months,
07:47diving into powerlifting and resistance workouts to build real strength.
07:51Director Rian Johnson said the scene was about intimacy,
07:54but fans couldn't stop talking about it.
07:57Just like that, the shirtless Kylo Ren became a meme.
08:00Who knew the Force could build that kind of physique?
08:02Let the past die.
08:05Kill it, if you have to.
08:10That's the only way to become what you were meant to be.
08:12Number 23, Alicia Vikander, Tomb Raider.
08:16If you'd told anyone Alicia Vikander would step into Lara Croft's tank top
08:21after Angelina Jolie, they'd probably have laughed you off.
08:25Alicia's a petite girl.
08:26And the level of athleticism needed to play the Tomb Raider star was daunting.
08:31And at about 5'5 and 117 pounds, Alicia's a tiny woman to begin with.
08:36But check out this before and after.
08:38How'd she get those abs and Tomb Raider fit?
08:41But even though she'd never lifted weights before, she didn't flinch.
08:45She trained like her life depended on it.
08:47Her routine included cycling, boxing, leg workouts, core strengthening, and even climbing
08:52until she gained over 10 pounds of solid muscle.
08:56How much muscle did Alicia put on?
08:58I think she gained 12 pounds.
09:01Really?
09:01Yeah.
09:02And was that all muscle?
09:04Yeah.
09:04Four months later, her hard work paid off.
09:07The transformation and confidence were undeniable.
09:10She came out looking like she could survive ancient tombs and outrun the deadliest traps.
09:15Angelina may have defined Croft first, but Alicia proved she could be her too.
09:20You like that?
09:22I do.
09:24If there's one thing more terrifying than open water, it's standing shirtless next to Dwayne Johnson.
09:32Zac Efron knew that when he signed up for Baywatch.
09:34Gone were the high school musical days.
09:37This was survival by biceps, abs, and muscle definition.
09:41Determined not to look like the sidekick, Zac went all in.
09:45He trained like a demigod.
09:4712 brutal weeks of power circuits, rotating between back, legs, and chest days, with core
09:53work on repeat.
09:54That's the best, like, aesthetic shape of, like, being buff that I would ever want to
10:01achieve.
10:03I was not happy not eating car.
10:06He achieved an enviable body fat and lived on lean proteins, fruits, and greens.
10:12The result?
10:13Zac showed up shredded.
10:14And in that lifting scene with The Rock, he actually locked in.
10:18Who says lifeguards only save people from drowning?
10:21Zac just saved his rep too.
10:23When the cameras are on, it's a lot easier.
10:25You don't think about yourself.
10:27We're freezing nipples.
10:28Number 21.
10:29Uma Thurman.
10:30Kill Bill Vol. 1.
10:32When Quentin Tarantino writes a film, you know it's going to be over the top.
10:36And Kill Bill Vol. 1 was no exception.
10:39He actually wrote the character of The Bride with Uma Thurman in mind.
10:42But she knew this wasn't a role you could fake.
10:45Before the Black Mamba could slice through an army of assassins, Uma had to earn it.
10:49Literally.
10:50Under martial arts master Wu Ping, she trained five days a week, nine to five, for three grueling months.
10:57It worked really, really, really hard.
10:59No, I'm just saying, I didn't look like that after having a baby.
11:01That was six months of training five days a week from nine to five.
11:05No shortcuts, no early outs, just endless combat drills, sword play, and stamina training.
11:12Every bruise, every drop of sweat built the warrior we saw on screen.
11:16Uma's entire frame transformed.
11:19And in true Tarantino fashion, from page to powerhouse, she became The Bride.
11:25Then give me one of these.
11:27These are not for sale.
11:30I didn't say sell me.
11:33I said give me.
11:35Number 20.
11:35Hugh Jackman, The Wolverine.
11:39Keep it safe for me.
11:40After an entire trilogy of X-Men movies where he looks like a less burly, less muscular Wolverine
11:49compared to his comic book inspiration, Hugh Jackman finally got absolutely shredded to play
11:54the lead role in 2013's The Wolverine.
11:57Thanks.
11:58In order to get the ideal muscly, veiny, animalistic, yet cut look for the film,
12:07Jackman adhered to a diet recommended by Dwayne The Rock Johnson,
12:10which required the actor to eat 6,000 calories a day in tandem with an intense workout regimen.
12:21And it seems to have worked.
12:22If you look at Jackman's physique in 2000's X-Men compared to The Wolverine,
12:27talk about aging gracefully.
12:30What kind of monster are you?
12:33The Wolverine.
12:34Number 19.
12:35Josh Brolin, Deadpool 2.
12:40In 2018, this actor appeared in not one, but two high-profile comic book movies.
12:46While as Thanos, he had the benefits of motion-capture CGI makeover to help him fill the sizable shoes
12:52of the Mad Titan, playing Cable took good old-fashioned hard work.
12:55Considering that Brolin was pushing 50 at the time of filming,
12:58both his transformation and his results were incredibly impressive.
13:03To play the hulking, time-traveling mutant, he trimmed down and packed on a ton of lean muscle.
13:09To do so in just 11 weeks, Brolin says he spent three hours a day in the gym
13:13and fundamentally altered his diet, including cutting out sugar entirely.
13:18In hindsight, he said jokingly, he wishes he'd just used steroids.
13:22Can I have one of those guns?
13:24No.
13:26That's fine.
13:26Number 18.
13:28Mark Wahlberg, Pain and Gain.
13:30Life is going to give me another set, and I'm going to rock it,
13:33because my name is Daniel Lugo, and I believe in fitness.
13:36Years after his glory days as a muscle-bound Calvin Klein model,
13:41Marky Mark regained his former build to play an eccentric bodybuilding ex-con in this crime comedy.
13:47Don't eyeball me, boy.
13:48I see your mother driving up and down the street looking at me.
13:50I'll be your stepfather by the weekend.
13:51And he did it after having trimmed down to a relatively slim 165
13:56for his role in the 2013 crime thriller Broken City.
13:59Are you sure you're ready to do this to your father?
14:02In order to look halfway normal-sized next to his 6'5", 265-pound co-star Dwayne The Rock Johnson,
14:09Wahlberg undertook an intense weight training routine
14:12and ate roughly 12 meals a day to pack on 40 pounds in just two months.
14:16And of course, he had to keep this routine up while he worked long hours on set.
14:25Hey, no pain, no gain.
14:31To say that this actress made a huge impression with her role in this 2004 sports drama
14:41is an understatement.
14:43You moved her up in class.
14:46Swank's performance was absolutely incredible,
14:49and she rightfully took home the Academy Award for Best Actress.
14:52Of course, in order to be able to play Mary Margaret and Maggie Fitzgerald convincingly,
14:57the usually thin actress needed to get into boxing shape.
15:00So in preparation for the role, she naturally did a whole lot of boxing-specific training.
15:05Working out four to six hours a day and following a diet aimed at putting on mass,
15:14she packed on 19 pounds, which is huge considering her frame and height.
15:19She started off at 110 pounds and ended off at 129.
15:23I can't get inside. I can't get close to my beard.
15:25You know why that is?
15:26Why?
15:28She's a better fighter than you are, that's why.
15:31She's younger, she's stronger, and she's more experienced.
15:34Now, what are you going to do about it?
15:37Number 16. Michael B. Jordan, Creed.
15:40Put up your hands. You a pro, right?
15:42In this spiritual successor to the Rocky franchise,
15:45the formerly slight Michael B. Jordan bulked up considerably
15:49in order to portray the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed.
15:52I don't know him. I ain't got nothing to do with me.
15:56Jordan did most of his physical fitness training with celebrity trainer
15:59and body transformation specialist Corey Calliott,
16:03and it was as tough as you would think.
16:05Come on!
16:08Come on!
16:09Workouts two to three times a day, six days a week,
16:12and a very bland diet for almost a year contributed to his impressive transformation.
16:17Nobody showed me how to do this.
16:20I'm ready.
16:21And because he didn't have a body double for Creed,
16:25Jordan also learned to box.
16:27The result of all this hard work was 24 pounds of muscle gained,
16:31a successful sequel filmed,
16:32and the approval of Sylvester Stallone himself earned.
16:35How do you know all this?
16:39How do you think?
16:40Number 15. Brie Larson, Captain Marvel.
16:43Have you ever tried pushing a jeep up a hill?
16:45Unless you're working with a professional, don't.
16:47But trust us when we say that it's no small feat.
16:50As the star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first female-led film,
16:54Brie Larson had a lot of pressure and expectations on her shoulders.
16:57You guys wouldn't happen to know how these things come off, would you?
17:01No? Fine.
17:05Suffice it to say, in her prep to become Captain Marvel,
17:08she built up the sort of muscle mass that enables one to carry a heavy load.
17:12Larson trained for nine months to get into superhero shape,
17:15and despite being a self-described, not-super-athletic person at the start of it,
17:19by the time filming began, she'd put on 15 pounds of muscle.
17:23We think the results speak for themselves.
17:25I've been fighting with one arm tied behind my back.
17:29But what happens when...
17:31I'm finally set free?
17:35Number 14. Chris Hemsworth, Thor.
17:38For the first time in my life, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do.
17:47Playing a superhero is tough enough,
17:49without the added pressure of also being an Asgardian god.
17:52But who are you?
17:56Really?
17:57Fortunately, the 6'4 actor rose to the occasion to play Marvel's God of Thunder so valiantly
18:02that when it came time to begin filming,
18:05Hemsworth's Thor costume wouldn't even fit.
18:08Adding about 20 pounds to tip the scales at 215,
18:17he reportedly adopted a high-protein diet
18:19and an ever-changing, intense weight training workout.
18:22Unfortunately for Hemsworth,
18:24between 2011's Thor and 2013's Thor Dark World,
18:28the Aussie actor was cast in Rush as race car driver James Hunt.
18:32It's a nearing day now.
18:34All right, superstar?
18:35That meant that he not only had to drop 30 pounds in four months,
18:39he also had to gain it back before he picked up his hammer again.
18:42Father!
18:43We'll finish them together!
18:45Number 13. Tom Hardy, Bronson.
18:48My name's Charles Bronson.
18:52And all my life, I've wanted to be famous.
18:55Before he was Bane, Tom Hardy was Bronson,
18:58and his role as the infamous English criminal prompted him to seriously bulk up.
19:03But rather than getting ripped,
19:05Hardy needed to look like a guy who spent much of his life in prison,
19:08and most of his time there in solitary confinement,
19:11meaning he had a chance to attend to his muscles.
19:13You shouldn't mess around with boys, we're all bigger than you.
19:16He got that brawler look by adding 42 pounds of muscle and fat to his 5'9'' frame
19:21in roughly seven weeks,
19:23thanks to a diet of chicken, rice, pizza, ice cream, and coke.
19:27When do I go back?
19:32Now, now, Mr. Peterson,
19:34we aren't going to start up all that silliness again, are we?
19:38His workouts involved press-ups, push-ups,
19:41and other exercises a prisoner might be able to do.
19:44And it worked.
19:45Even the real Bronson was impressed.
19:48Number 12.
19:49Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow
19:51She might be the 21st century Mary Poppins,
19:55but before teaching the Banks children manners and important life lessons,
19:59Emily Blunt was slicing and dicing her way through hordes of extraterrestrials
20:03in this 2014 sci-fi action flick.
20:06Yes?
20:07Who said you could talk to me?
20:10I got something on my face, soldier.
20:12You did.
20:12For her role as the heroic Sergeant Rita Veritaski,
20:16Emily Blunt had to transform herself into a warrior worthy of her title as the Angel of Verdun.
20:21She only had about two and a half months to prep for the role,
20:24but by the time she showed up on set,
20:26co-star Tom Cruise reportedly stated that he'd never seen someone arrive so well prepared.
20:30Since she'd be filming in an exoskeleton suit weighing up to 85 pounds,
20:34she often trained while wearing weighted vests.
20:36No, Kate, you're going to get me there, and I'm going to kill it.
20:42Number 11.
20:43John Krasinski, 13 Hours, The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
20:48It's no secret that we have a soft spot for this celebrity couple.
20:51What can we say?
20:52They just seem like a perfect match.
20:54And sure enough, not long after Emily Blunt got into fighting shape,
20:57so too did husband John Krasinski.
20:59It becomes eerily quiet.
21:03Now, is it true that you guys practiced this at home?
21:05I mean, did we?
21:08I did.
21:09We spent years getting to know Krasinski as the rather lanky Jim Halpert on The Office.
21:14Master of pranks and endlessly endearing?
21:17Absolutely.
21:18Action hero?
21:18We never would have seen it.
21:20But for his co-starring role in this Michael Bay war film, he got jacked.
21:24The goal was lean, clean muscle, and he managed to pack on 25 pounds of it.
21:28So we're chauffeurs now?
21:29Yeah.
21:30Highly trained, highly paid chauffeurs.
21:32He was playing a Navy SEAL, and he trained like one,
21:35dropping from 25% body fat to 9% in four months.
21:39I'm so happy.
21:40I can't believe it.
21:43Number 10.
21:44Daniel Craig, Casino Royale
21:46I'm sorry.
21:49That last hand nearly killed me.
21:52The name's Buff.
21:53James Buff.
21:54I mean, Bond.
21:55The name's Bond.
21:57James Bond.
21:58While not one of the youngest actors on this list, Craig proved in Casino Royale that wisdom is not the only thing that comes with age.
22:05Sometimes you can get a killer physique as well.
22:08In order to get in shape as perhaps the most built Bond yet, Craig cut the crap from his diet,
22:14focusing on quality proteins and greens while minimizing his carb intake,
22:18gave up smoking, and began weight training five days a week, with cardio on the weekends.
22:23I think something is driving you.
22:26And I think I'll never find out what that is.
22:29Fun fact, when Craig learned he had the role, he contacted ex-royal marine Simon Watterson,
22:34who had trained other movie actors including former Bond Pierce Brosnan.
22:38I know what you're doing.
22:39Really?
22:40What's that, dear?
22:41You are just trying to show off the size of your...
22:43Your...
22:44Engine?
22:46Ego.
22:46Number 9.
22:47Sylvester Stallone, Rocky III
22:49Stallone is synonymous with fitness.
22:52Over the years, he's transformed his body many times over.
22:561976's Rocky was a true underdog story, and Sly had a physique to match.
23:00Sure, he was in better shape than the average man, but he wasn't movie boxer fit.
23:05For the third film in the franchise, however, he reportedly dropped down to a career low of
23:092.8% body fat, and did so by working out twice a day, six days a week, always working
23:15towards sleek, well-developed muscles.
23:22Of course, he's not the only actor to radically change their body in the name of a boxing role.
23:29There's the previously mentioned Robert De Niro for Raging Bull, as well as Will Smith
23:34for Ali, both of whom deserve recognition.
23:41Number 8.
23:43Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
23:45I just want to get the bad guys, but if I can't see them, I can't shoot them.
23:48Another actor who bulked up to take on a military role, Bradley Cooper went from 185 pounds to
23:54a meaty 225 in just 10 weeks to accurately portray U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle.
24:00Chris, I'm Chris Kyle.
24:01Nice to meet you.
24:02To get to his desired size, Cooper took on two workouts a day, plus he was reportedly force-fed
24:08an over 5,000-calorie-a-day diet.
24:11That's more than a mile.
24:12Impossible shot, Chris.
24:13Cooper also trained as a sniper, a skill he picked up fairly quickly.
24:17But even so, the hardest part was eating every 55 minutes.
24:20Still, his hard work did pay off, as Cooper received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
24:26So, it was all worth it, right?
24:28Look at me when I'm talking to you.
24:29Hey, look at me.
24:31Number 7.
24:32Ryan Reynolds, Blade Trinity, and Deadpool
24:35This little pea shooter is a modified version of the Army's objective individual combat weapon.
24:40Pick your poison, sundogs, stakes, eat seeking many rockets, basically whatever gets you hard.
24:45Hard as it is to remember after a decade and a half of Ryan, the bod, Reynolds,
24:49there was a time when this actor wasn't ripped as well as hilarious.
24:52Okay, first off, that's just rude.
24:55Second, I'm pretty sure we saved your ass back there.
24:58When he signed on to play Hannibal King, he had a good physique, but it was more frat boy hot,
25:03as shown in Van Wilder.
25:04For Blade Trinity, he made his torso look like that of a Greek god.
25:08The actor added roughly 25 pounds of muscle,
25:11understandably wowing audiences when that shirt came off in the 2004 film.
25:15He's largely maintained an incredible physique ever since,
25:18but when he signed on to play the Merc with a mouth,
25:20he packed on an additional 7 pounds of muscle.
25:22He made three of those movies.
25:25At some point you have to wonder if he's just a bad parent.
25:28Number 6.
25:29Jake Gyllenhaal, Southpaw
25:31I can handle the rules, man.
25:33I handle the rules.
25:34Believe me, I grew up in the system.
25:35I can't handle the rules.
25:36If you're going to play an undefeated professional boxer,
25:39you gotta look like one.
25:41And Jake Gyllenhaal certainly did in Southpaw.
25:43A subject of hatred, anger, revenge.
25:50In contrast to the unusually lanky build he took on for Nightcrawler just one year prior
25:55that resulted from his 30-pound weight loss,
25:58Gyllenhaal gained roughly 15 pounds of pure muscle for Southpaw
26:01by training twice a day, seven days a week.
26:07Those intense training sessions also helped him learn the fundamentals of the sport
26:11so he could appear to be a seasoned fighter in the ring.
26:14That's all you got.
26:16That's all you got.
26:17That's all you got.
26:18That dedication paid off, as Gyllenhaal was praised for his performance
26:23both as an actor and a boxer.
26:25I was really looking forward to just showing up, walking in the ring,
26:28and then having him fall on the ground.
26:32Number 5.
26:33Chris Pratt, Zero Dark Thirty
26:35You may have been expecting us to choose his star-making role in Guardians of the Galaxy,
26:43and he did manage a significant transformation for that movie,
26:46considering he'd just gained 60 pounds for 2013's Delivery Man.
26:51Uh, well, you see, this is a complex situation.
26:56But Parks and Rec's lovable goofball Andy Dwyer
26:59first became a muscled hunk for Zero Dark Thirty.
27:02You really believe this story?
27:05I mean, no offense, no offense.
27:07I know, but Osama bin Laden.
27:11Whereas for Guardians, Pratt had the help of a trainer and nutritionist,
27:14for Catherine Bigelow's action thriller,
27:16he bulked up the unhealthy way by starving himself and pushing his body as hard as he could.
27:22Despite his resulting need for shoulder surgery,
27:25the move seems to have worked,
27:27and Pratt successfully exercised his way to leading man status.
27:32I'm cool with you.
27:32Number 4.
27:33Linda Hamilton, Terminator 2, Judgment Day
27:36The key to surviving the early 1990s?
27:39Making sure that Sarah Connor doesn't think that you're a Terminator
27:42sent from the future to kill her son,
27:44because that's a fight you're going to lose.
27:46You broke my arm.
27:48There are 215 bones in the human body.
27:50That's one.
27:51By the time we caught up with Linda Hamilton's character in the sequel,
27:54she'd become a tough-as-nails, fierce, resourceful,
27:57and thoroughly pragmatic individual.
27:59And Hamilton developed a physique to match her character.
28:02I think you're so creative.
28:05You don't know what it's like to really create something,
28:08to create a life.
28:10To feel it growing inside you.
28:12All you know how to create is death and destruction.
28:15Mom!
28:15She got lean and sinewy in a way that had rarely been seen before,
28:19or since, from a leading actress on the big screen.
28:22In preparation for the role,
28:24Hamilton embraced military-style training,
28:26and it paid off in spades.
28:28For many people, Henry Cavill is the definition of the superhero body.
28:42It wouldn't be much of a surrender if I resisted.
28:46And if it makes him feel more secure,
28:49then all the better.
28:50The caped crime fighters seen in comic books are known for their unrealistic broad shoulders,
28:55massive biceps, and just generally exaggerated musculature.
28:59Physiques that are impossible.
29:01Well, at least as far as heroes on the big screen go,
29:03Cavill has brought the human body just about as close as you can get.
29:06What makes this Superman actor's accomplishment so impressive is that his body,
29:10back in the day, would have been best described as relatively soft.
29:14As a kid, he was teased for his weight.
29:16But for his 2011 role in Immortals,
29:18he got freaking cut before bulking up in a huge way for his debut as Superman in 2013's Man of Steel.
29:24It was a close race between Henry Cavill and Chris Evans,
29:39but ultimately, we felt that the Captain America actor edged out the Superman actor.
29:51Though Cavill has arguably put on more bulk,
29:53Evans has packed on an impressive amount of mass
29:56and maintained a high level of muscle definition.
29:58In short, he's both jacked and cut, to a ridiculous degree.
30:02Soldiers trust each other.
30:03That's what makes it an army.
30:04Not a bunch of guys running around shooting guns.
30:06More impressive still,
30:07he seemingly only continued to improve his physique
30:10with each subsequent appearance as Steve Rogers.
30:13Evans is naturally slim,
30:14so it took hard work to widen his frame.
30:16And he achieved his goals by prioritizing tried-and-true exercises
30:20like squats, deadlifts, and chin-ups.
30:22It's hard to argue with the results.
30:24I can do this all day.
30:26Before we continue,
30:28be sure to subscribe to our channel
30:29and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
30:32You'll have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
30:36If you're on your phone,
30:37make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
30:401. Christian Bale
30:44Batman Begins
30:45What is the point of all those push-ups
30:47if you can't even lift a bloody log?
30:55This committed thespian is remarkable
30:57not only because of the seemingly superhuman bodybuilding
31:00he did to star in Batman Begins,
31:02but also because of where he started out.
31:04Hey, perfect fit.
31:08In 2004,
31:09Bale lost 62 pounds for his role in The Machinist
31:12by subsisting on water,
31:14apples, coffee,
31:15and not much else.
31:17I was crossing the street.
31:20Lights changed on me.
31:23He was left with roughly six months after filming
31:25concluded to pack on the hundred pounds necessary
31:28to play a convincing Batman.
31:30With the help of a trainer,
31:31pizza, and ice cream,
31:32he did it,
31:33and he even surpassed his goal enough
31:35that he had to lose weight before filming began.
31:38Who knows, Master Wayne?
31:40You start pretending to have fun,
31:42you might even have a little buy accident.
31:44Which of these movie stars' transformations
31:46impressed you the most?
31:48Let us know in the comments.
Be the first to comment